My invention pertains to the general field of portable remote controllers and in particular to a class of hand-held remote controllers commonly used to change channel selection and tuning of entertainment equipment. My invention particularly relates to the remote control of television channel selection on any of a variety of remotely controlled devices, including a televisor, cable-box converter, satellite receiver, VCR machine, DVD machine and similar apparatus. Most particularly, my invention pertains to the entry of an actual channel number selection for tuning a program channel which has been shifted to a different virtual channel assignment by a cable or satellite system operator.
The remote control of televisors and similar equipment is ordinarily obtained through the use of a portable and usually hand-held remote control. Wireless remote controls are a relatively recent phenomenon, having been first introduced about 1955 by then Zenith Radio Corp. first as a photoelectric version under the name Flashmatic(trademark). Beginning in 1955 a more practical ultrasonic design was developed by a team effort under Dr. Robert Adler of then Zenith Radio Corp. The remote controller used mechanically struck tone-producing rods and it worked sort of like a miniature xylophone delivering four slightly disparate tones to a microphone located at the to-be controlled TV receiver. In the early television sets of the late 1950s, television sets ordinarily tuned 12 channels, e.g., channels 2-13. As a result, the four tones allowed tuning xe2x80x9cup and downxe2x80x9d and adjusting volume xe2x80x9cup and downxe2x80x9d.
This early tone-operated remote controller was introduced as Zenith""s Space Command(trademark) in 1956 and for a quarter of a century it prevailed as the premier form of remote controller technology for television applications. These early Zenith remote controllers offered a bare minimum of functionality. On the other hand, they required a relatively elaborate tone-responsive receiver to be included in the television set. Early Zenith remote control receivers generally utilized six additional vacuum tubes, along with relays, motor drives and other paraphernalia, which dramatically increased the cost of a TV-set to the consumer, often by as much as 30%. As time went on, many other manufacturers adopted a similar technical approach for remote control, using near-ultrasonic sound as the coupling medium. These earliest remote controllers, such as exemplified by the Space Command(trademark) offered a modest capability for stepping through the available channels and adjusting volume. Fine tuning and other picture adjustments still had to be done manually at the TV-set. Clearly more features, such as remote selection of a randomly chosen channel number, were desirable albeit not then available.
In the early 1980s makers of television sets moved to using infrared light as the coupling medium. A Sylania TV-set circa 1983 used a Sylvania model T172AC (32-3019070-1) remote controller that included a 16-button keypad and utilized an ITandT Corp. type 612341-1 24-pin LSI circuit for determining its several functions, combined with a pair of infrared LEDs couplable with the remotely located TV-set. The gain in popularity of remote control in the 1980s was paralleled by the dramatic improvements in tuner design. In particular, electronic tuning made possible by varactor diodes and related devices made channel selection and automatic frequency control technically practical, commonplace and economically viable. These advances in tuner design resulted in a far simpler remote electronic control of tuning and other features without motors, relays and mechanical drives.
Cable converter boxes, such as those made by (then) General Instrument Corp. (now Motorola Inc.) often had an accompanying remote control such as a GI model RT-J50 which sported 28-keybuttons offering numerous functions aside from channel selection. This early remote control was specifically encoded to cooperate with General Instrument""s own Jerrold(trademark) or Tocom(trademark) converter boxes of that era. Operation of the remote control was based upon a LGS type OHS-3203P LSI circuit and included twin infrared LEDs for sending encoded commands to the cable box.
Ordinarily these General Instrument and Sylvania remote controllers and others from that earlier era offered a remote selection capability for any randomly picked channel number between xe2x88x851 and 99 but were practicably limited to the range of channels then generally available on TV-sets (e.g., usually various xe2x80x9cover the airxe2x80x9d channels ranging between channels xe2x88x852 through 13 and sometimes the UHF channels 14 through 82), or the typical cable xe2x80x9cconverter boxxe2x80x9d such as the Jerrold(trademark) model 450-DRZP-3A and Tocom(trademark) model 5503-VIP (Jerrold div. and Tocom div., General Instruments Corp., Hatboro, Pa.) that then tuned about 67 channels.
The Sylvania remote controller design was typical of the era and served as a representative forerunner to the contemporary remote controllers both of the device-specific fixed-code original equipment class and of the field re-programmable universally encoded type.
The invisible light beam was then and continues to be superior to early Zenith(trademark) developed technical methods that depended upon a sending of sonic tones. The versatile superiority of an infrared light beam is that can be readily encoded with elaborate digital patterns which assures it""s private recognition only by the intended device. In other words, the remote controller is now both noise immune and less apt to interfere with another remotely controlled device in the same area. Remote control technology advanced rapidly in the 1980""s with the introduction of a set of CMOS xe2x80x9cencoder and decoderxe2x80x9d integrated circuits by Motorola, Inc. These early LSI devices, typified by a MC145026 encoder and MC145027 decoder quickly taught the art that high immunity against false response and separate identity for different devices was economically feasible. For example, the MC145026 coupled with an MLED-81 infrared light emitting diode made a hand-held controller economically practical and functionally reliable. Aside from demonstrable TV-set remote controller applications, these Motorola devices also found widespread application in the X-10(trademark) line of home automation controllers.
Two principal classes of hand held remote controls coexist. One is a dedicated and usually pre-encoded xe2x80x9cOEMxe2x80x9d original equipment remote controller, generally supplied by a specific maker of an entertainment device, such as the televisor or cable box. The dedicated remote controller ordinarily is single-device oriented, working only with the televisor or other equipment that it was supplied with. For example, the encoding of a Sharp(trademark) model G1324SA remote control specifically attends the Sharp(trademark) model 27L-S100 television receiver and it""s fixed encoding is not known to be otherwise re-programmable by the user.
A second class is a more versatile xe2x80x9cuniversal remotexe2x80x9d controller, commonly sold as an after-market item and ordinarily capable of being variously xe2x80x9cfieldxe2x80x9d re-encoded to select between and work with several different brands and usually several different types of entertainment devices. Most commonly, the universal remote is designed to select between and operate several disparate devices, such as a xe2x80x9cTVxe2x80x9d set, a xe2x80x9cVCRxe2x80x9d machine and a xe2x80x9cCBLxe2x80x9d (cable box) set-top converter. This multi-device operability may include provision for commanding a xe2x80x9cSATxe2x80x9d (satellite receiver),a xe2x80x9cDVDxe2x80x9d (digital video disc) selection or an xe2x80x9caudio receiverxe2x80x9d. Home theater setups may include a xe2x80x9ctelevision video receiverxe2x80x9d separate from the display and sound portions of the equipment combination.
Additional variations include a combination where the remote control encoding is supplied to be initially programmed for an OEM""s products, e.g., TV-set, VCR-machine, etc. that xe2x80x9cit came withxe2x80x9d, but where the preset programming may be altered or overwritten to adapt it""s encoded operation to one or more selected device functions that cooperate with another maker""s equipment.
Custom and xe2x80x9cuniversalxe2x80x9d field-programmable remote controls are designed and manufactured by numerous makers. Innotech Systems, Inc. (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) is a designer and maker of infrared remote controls. Innotech""s proprietary VLSI (very large scale integration) circuit technology as included in remote controllers sold under a variety of private brand labels.
U.S.Electronics, Inc. (Littleton, Colo.) is another major designer and maker of remote controls particularly for set-top box makers (e.g., cable boxes, satellite receivers, etc.).
Several other makers including Philips Corp., Recoton Corp., Thompson Electronics, Inc. and Universal Electronics, Inc. presently dominate the aftermarket business. Some of these makers furthermore market controllers under a variety of xe2x80x9cbrand labelsxe2x80x9d, including Arher, GE, Magnavox, RCA, Radio Shack, Zenith and so forth. As a result, the technical operation of most common replacement remote controls is about the same and similarly limited. It is well known that most remote controls xe2x80x9cwork alikexe2x80x9d although a great diversity in numbers of functions serviced, function button placement, cosmetic appearance and similar details can be found. Some remote controls include xe2x80x9cmemoryxe2x80x9d which is supposed to allow a user to quickly return to frequently visited channels. A multi-device remote control having memory provision and including cosmetic diversity is described by Darbee et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,256 xe2x80x9cDirect Entry Remote Control with Channel Scanxe2x80x9d.
Other common remote controllers include a xe2x80x9cmacroxe2x80x9d provision, which enables a user to setup a multi-step function control of one or more entertainment devices and operate them with a few button actuations. Generally, a macro is a tiny program which substitutes for a frequently used routine involving several often disparate steps entered in a repeatable sequence. A remote control using macro commands is described by O""Donnell, et al under U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,426 xe2x80x9cFavorite Key Macro Command and Chained Macro Command in a Remote Controlxe2x80x9d and is representative of the macro controlled class of devices.
A related U.S. Pat. No. 6,094,239 xe2x80x9cRemote Control for a Television Enabling a User to Enter and Review a Channel Selection Choice Immediately Prior to Sending an Encoded Channel Selection Command to the Televisionxe2x80x9d discusses several shortfalls of prior remote control technology. This ""239 patent also discusses several features found to overcome earlier limitations, notably including:
A capability for making channel number entries in advance of actual command translation to the televisor. This earlier teaching discusses the advantage of a leisurely pace of key selection entry demanded of a user. In particular it discusses how an elderly or physically challenged user (or for that matter, anyone else) is far less likely to make entry errors. This error reduction occurs because the remote control does not have to be held in physical alignment with the televisor or cable box while each of the several individual channel selection integer keys are pressed.
Single digit channels requiring a xe2x88x85 (zero) prefix such as xe2x88x855 for channel xe2x80x9c5xe2x80x9d are automatically completed by merely pressing the channel number integer key and without pressing a predecessory zero key.
Resetting or affirming the setting of a TV-set to xe2x80x9cchannel 3xe2x80x9d (or whatever setting is necessary) to match the output of a cable box or VCR machine is automatically re-established every time an unrelated command is submitted by the remote controller to a controlled VCR-machine, etc. In other words, sending a xe2x80x9ctune to channel 27xe2x80x9d command sent to the cable box is automatically accompanied by a xe2x80x9ctune to channel xe2x88x853xe2x80x9ccommand sent to the TV-set""s tuner.
Commercial television program content and other entertainment information is commonly distributed by coaxial or fiberoptical xe2x80x9ccablesxe2x80x9d to residential customers. Cable programming signals are ordinarily run through a xe2x80x9ccable boxxe2x80x9d or cable converter which provides the xe2x80x9cchannel selectionxe2x80x9d capability, usually outputting a selected program signal on a lower channel such as channel 3 or channel 4. Known also is that xe2x80x9cdigitalxe2x80x9d cable boxes may deliver the converted or decoded program content signal as an analog or digital video format signal. Ordinarily, video format signals whether analog or digital couple into xe2x80x9cdirect inputxe2x80x9d connections of modern televisors. Such inputs may be labeled as xe2x80x9cInput 1xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cInput 2xe2x80x9d and ordinarily they are directly accessible by an encoded command, similar to a channel selection command.
Cable program signals may also be inputted directly into a category of xe2x80x9ccable readyxe2x80x9d television sets (TV-sets) and similar equipment if the features offered by the cable box are not needed, such as de-scrambling. In this setup, the cable channel assignments are directly accessible just as though they were xe2x80x9cover the airxe2x80x9d channels. This includes the usage of virtual channel numbers, such as Channel 13 to represent an over-the-air broadcast channel 25. Therefore, it is obvious that televisors operating with direct cable input may benefit as surely from the invention as those which use an intervening cable box or satellite receiver that delivers a channel 3 or channel 4 radio frequency output.
Typical satellite xe2x80x9cbroadcastxe2x80x9d systems provide microwave wireless signals that may be picked up by an individual receiving dish antenna hooked to a customer""s television set through an intermediate xe2x80x9csatellite receiverxe2x80x9d. Satellite television program distribution, such as DirecTV(trademark) or EchoStar(trademark) is widely used in less-densely populated areas and elsewhere it is directly competitive with the cable distribution systems. Satellite services may also offer xe2x80x9cover-the-airxe2x80x9d originated local channel programming which was originally broadcast on a (US) Federal Communications Commission (FCC) assigned channel, typically including the present-day network affiliated stations of ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and PBS. Like cable television, there often is no reasonable correlation between a publicly broadcast channel number and the satellite system proprietary channel number re-assignments.
A common thread running through these various signal distribution system configurations and typical of cable or satellite program distribution is that the real channel numbers assigned to an xe2x80x9cover the airxe2x80x9d TV-station by the FCC may be shifted to another virtual channel number prior to distribution. As a result of this change in channel numbering, a residential customer may be seeking a xe2x80x9clocal stationxe2x80x9d, such as one having an over-the-air designation of channel 25 and find that it appears on the cable system as channel 13, for example. In a representative ATandT-Broadband(trademark) system servicing parts of Eastern Massachusetts, the following real and virtual channels are found to co-exist.
In these particular systems, xe2x80x9cover the airxe2x80x9d channels 2,4,5,6,7,9,10,11 and 12 are maintained with the same channel-number assignments, when they are offered in the system. In other words, the real and virtual (or cable-distributed) channel assignments remain the same for these xe2x80x9clower channelsxe2x80x9d. However as the chart shows, the higher xe2x80x9cUHFxe2x80x9d channels are clearly shifted in a seemingly random order and reassigned illogical virtual channel numbers, as shown by the chart. More confusingly, for the average viewer, is that while both the Barnstable, Mass. and the Winchendon, Mass. schedule is published in the same TV-Guide(trademark) magazine, the virtual or reassigned channel numbers are very dissimilar in each of the ATandT-Broadband(trademark) cable service areas and furthermore, illogically related to the xe2x80x9cover-the-airxe2x80x9d REAL channel number assignments.
A problem which arises with this confusing reassignment and shifting of real channel numbers to various virtual channel numbers is that printed program guides and promotional advertising pertaining to any one or more of the affected over-the-air stations is difficult to associate without resorting to unwieldy conversion charts, etc. As a result, viewers often end up tuned to the xe2x80x9cwrong channelxe2x80x9d, or give up and settle for a lesser or at least different program than their original intent. For example, if a friend advises that xe2x80x9ca terrific programxe2x80x9d is on channel 25 tonight, where do you look. Do they mean the xe2x80x9crealxe2x80x9d over-the-air channel 25 which may carry FOX Network programming and appears reassigned to a virtual channel 13 by the cable company if you happen to live in the Barnstable, Mass. area, or do they mean the virtual channel 25 which in this exampled system is the Nickelodeon(trademark) channel. Clearly these inconsistencies in cable programming channel number assignments can lead to outright viewer confusion, loss of program choice and indirect advertising revenue loss by the network since a potential viewer doesn""t tune-in.
As this chart shows, the assignment of virtual channel numbers to supplant real channel numbers is also inconsistent even in different neighborhoods in the same market area covered by the same TV-Guide(trademark) magazine""s ATandT-Broadband(trademark) Edition.
Well known and common practice dictates that two different cable franchisers even in bordering communities may utilize completely different cable numbering schemes for the real to virtual channel number translations. This means that, (to personalize the example) if a program is being broadcast over he air on channel 38 and received by a you on channel 14, on the Mashpee, Mass. ATandT-Broadband(trademark) system, that you can not simply call a friend in an abutting, neighboring town of Falmouth, Mass. and tell them to xe2x80x9cwatch channel 14xe2x80x9d because that is the channel the you are presently watching. Chances are that your Falmouth friend would get the wrong program, because their cable system has different virtual assignments.
Rather, you have to realize that channel 14 as shown on your cable box display is really channel 38 in disguise on your ATandT-Broadband(trademark) system, while it would merely be a xe2x80x9clocal accessxe2x80x9d program on the Adelphia(trademark) system servicing your friend and other Falmouth area viewers. Then of course you can tell your friend to xe2x80x9cwatch channel 38xe2x80x9d, but wait: if your friend on the different cable system must know or look-up the xe2x80x9ccable channelxe2x80x9d for your suggested channel 38, which in his town might be channel 17 or something else.
Sound confusing? It is! Resolving this confusion is the essence of my present invention, to correct this complexity and provide the average user with a far more consistent and utilitarian channel selection nexus.
Newspaper TV-program inserts and the TV-Guide(trademark) magazine or other TV-schedule publications such as TV-Times(trademark) only serve to confuse the average viewer even more. In these popular publications, the over-the-air television stations are commonly identified by their government-assigned (FCC) call letter and channel number. Hence, the mentioned over-the-air FOX Network channel 25 station is typically shown as Channel 25 in many TV schedule publications. This convention prevails because publications may cover a number of neighboring towns or suburbs, each having their own peculiar cable channel assignments. The reader must therefore resort to a cross-reference chart and find the Channel 25 content actually appears on the virtual Channel 13 cable box setting in his Mashpee, Mass. area while it appears on the virtual Channel 22 in the abutting Falmouth, Mass. service area.
To confound the real channel and virtual channel relationship even further, satellite systems such as EchoStar(trademark) do not even maintain the xe2x80x9clow channelxe2x80x9d, or older VHF station assignments. In other words, the original over-the-air channels 2 through 13 have been re-assigned to new three-digit channel number combinations.
More generally my invention discusses the selection of a mix of real channel numbers and virtual channel numbers when the program content produced as a result differs, as it frequently does. A major advance is that the real channel number and the virtual channel number may be entered by the user using the same set of keypad buttons as taught by this invention. A principal advantage of this capability is to allow the same array of ten keys commonly used to enter real channel number integers to also be usable to enter the integer values representing virtual channel numbers. The result is an insignificant increase in keypad complexity over that of the prior art. For example, the real value and virtual value entry provision may be accomplished utilizing as few as one additional keybutton, while maintaining my invention""s capacity to accept entry of a boundless number of real channel and virtual channel number selections. This capability for sharing the same integer keys on a common xe2x80x9c10-buttonxe2x80x9d keypad arrangement to enter xe2x80x9crealxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cvirtualxe2x80x9d channel number selections is one of the most profound provisions of this invention.
Over-the-air television programs are intended to be received by viewers on the same channel entry which the station and its advertisers promote. It does little good for an advertiser or network to spend on advertising to promote xe2x80x9cwatching a terrific program on Channel 25xe2x80x9d, when viewers can not find the program on their cable system""s channel 25. Without resorting to a schedule guide and cross-reference chart, there is little hope that the channel 25 program content will in fact be intercepted on the ATandT-Broadband(trademark) channel 13 in Hyannis, Mass. (Barnstable, Mass. service area) or else on channel 22 in Woods Hole, Mass. (Falamouth, Mass. service area) where it has been shifted to by the local Adelphia(trademark) cable carrier.
It is indisputable that maintaining a consistency of real over-the-air channel number assignments and remote control entries as having the same integer values is desirable. Consistency simplifies the interpretation of schedule guides. Consistency helps the viewer find a station quickly. Consistency helps the originating over-the-air station keep viewer loyalty. Overall, consistency helps advertisers reach their target viewers by including a xe2x80x9cchannel numberxe2x80x9d in their promotional material.
Special keys may be assigned to frequently viewed channels or macro functions may be programmed and utilized for this conversion purpose. As is well understood by practitioners in the art, this additional complexity of xe2x80x9cmore buttonsxe2x80x9d does little to alleviate viewer confusion. It does not overcome the underlying issue of inconsistency between numbering confusion caused by the many over-the-air broadcast channels and their virtual counterparts designated by the cable provider. Add to this the periodic shifting of one or more channel assignments by cable carriers.
Macro key functions, aside from their inherent complexity of initial setup, tend to merely exasperate a viewer when the macro key inherently carries no associative meaning. For the most part, dedicated macro function controlled buttons only serve to further confuse the average technically inept user and lead to annoying errors and frustrations. As a result viewers lose valuable viewing time trying to find the xe2x80x9crightxe2x80x9d channel, often by merely xe2x80x9csurfingxe2x80x9d out of frustration.
More generally my invention discusses accomplishing the intermixed random selection of real channel numbers and virtual channel numbers. To understand this invention, it is necessary to realize that the immediate program content produced as a result of keypad entries may differ greatly although the real channel number and the virtual channel number might be entered by the user as the same combination of integers. For example, viewer wishing to a FOX(trademark) network program broadcast xe2x80x9cover-the-airxe2x80x9d by WFXT on channel 25 may merely press xe2x80x9c25xe2x80x9d on the remote control. My invention now takes over and in the Barnstable, Mass. area served by the ATandT-Broadband(trademark) cable system it sends a command to the TV-set to tune to channel 13 while in the Falmouth, Mass. area served by the Adelphia(trademark) cable system the same model remote control sends the command to the TV-set to tune to channel 22.
Without a doubt, it is the novel capability for enabling the user to direct the immediate keypad entry to be representative as a xe2x80x9crealxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cvirtualxe2x80x9d entry that uniquely sets this remote controller apart from earlier art.
For further understanding of this invention it is necessary to realize that a xe2x80x9cREALxe2x80x9d channel number references an xe2x80x9cover-the-air broadcastxe2x80x9d channel number assigned in the USA by the Federal Communications Commission. A particular assignment example is that of a Channel 4 to a CBS station WBZ-TV in Boston, Mass. Similarly, it is known that Channel 12 is assigned to WPRI-TV, a CBS affiliate station in Providence, R.I.
Another real channel number example is Channel 56 which is assigned to WLVI in Boston, Mass. When WLVI channel 56 is sought on a representative ATandT-Broadband(trademark) cable network, the user instead will find that the over-the-air Channel 56 is shifted to a virtual channel 11 on the usual cable converter box setting. To confuse this issue further, in an area serviced by the Adelphia(trademark) cable system, the over-the-air Channel 56 is shifted to channel 08.
Still more confusion abounds when the FOX network TV station WFXT in Boston is shown moved from Channel 25 to Channel 13 on the mentioned ATandT-Broadband(trademark) cable network and Channel 22 on the Adelphia(trademark) cable system. This means that the viewer must tune the cable box to channel 13 (or else channel 22) in order to receive the FOX network station WFXT that broadcasts over-the-air on Channel 25.
A more problematic issue arises if the cable box is in fact tuned to channel 25 because the viewer will receive an unrelated channel and presently a Nickelodeon(trademark) cable channel in the Barnstable area and a Showtime(trademark) movie channel in the Falmouth area.
A remote controller having no additional keypad complexity and yet exhibiting the ability to satisfy several particular objectives of this invention is taught to include:
A. submitting two integer entries by briefly pressing each of two keybuttons to initiate a channel change results in a sending of a REAL channel change value, e.g., pressing keys xe2x80x9c2xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9c7xe2x80x9d results in sending the REAL channel change command xe2x80x9c27xe2x80x9d to the remotely controlled receiver;
B. submitting two integer entries by briefly pressing the first entry and next pressing and holding the second entry beyond a brief predetermined time interval (about 1 or 2 seconds) to initiate the channel change results in sending of a VIRTUAL channel change value, e.g., pressing xe2x80x9c3xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9c6xe2x80x9d results in sending the VIRTUAL channel change command xe2x80x9c2xe2x88x85xe2x80x9d to the remotely controlled receiver as needed in the ATandT-Broadband(trademark) service area;
C. submitting one integer entry to effect a xe2x80x9csingle digitxe2x80x9d channel change such as xe2x80x9cchannel 5xe2x80x9d by holding the entry beyond a brief predetermined time interval (about 2 seconds) to initiate the channel change results in an automatic prefixing of the entered integer value with a leading xe2x88x85 and sending the combination as a two-digit channel change command xe2x80x9cxe2x88x855xe2x80x9d to the remotely controlled receiver.
Importantly, each of these variant commands may be initiated by utilizing a standard key button layout, without additional keybuttons or keypad extensions which may lead to further user confusion, especially in a darkened room or when used by elderly or physically challenged persons. Realize, however, that this capability for accessing various key modes of operation from a standard unexpanded keypad layout does not preclude the particular inclusion of an assigned keybutton to accomplish one or more of the channel selection modes.
For purpose of my invention a xe2x80x9cuserxe2x80x9d may be inherently singular or plural and generically describes one or more individual persons utilizing a television receiver, satellite receiver, cable box or similar device for the purpose of tuning to a publicly available xe2x80x9cchannelxe2x80x9d either broadcast xe2x80x9cover-the-airxe2x80x9d, by satellite link or through a cable system. Sometimes a user may be referred to as an viewer or subscriber and therefore the user shall be considered to include to any person designated as the operator of a remote control device used in conjunction with a TV-set, VCR machine, cable box, satellite receiver, xe2x80x9chome theaterxe2x80x9d system or similar apparatus. The terms person, viewer, operator and user are also intentionally gender neutral.
My invention""s principal objective is to enable the entry of a real television channel number and deliver an equivalent, virtual channel number command to a cable box or televisor which matches the channel setting the real channel number is shifted to by a cable company.
A foremost intent of my invention is to relieve a viewer from the burden of translating xe2x80x9cpublishedxe2x80x9d channel numbers for xe2x80x9cover-the-airxe2x80x9d broadcasts into equivalent and ordinarily illogically related virtual channel numbers presented to subscribers by cable and satellite service purveyors.
A goal of my invention is to provide a viewer with the convenience of entering an xe2x80x9cover-the-airxe2x80x9d television station""s real channel number and having a cable box or television set automatically tuned to an equivalent virtual channel number offered by a cable distribution system.
A further object of my invention is to permit a viewer to make ordinary entry of an xe2x80x9cover the airxe2x80x9d television station""s real channel number and having a satellite receiver automatically tuned to an equivalent virtual channel number offered by a satellite television signal purveyor.
Still another object of my invention is to allow a television viewer to locate a real channel number listed or advertised in a typical TV program listing guide (such as TV-Guide(trademark) Magazine)and be able to enter the located real number directly into a remote control which automatically translates the entered numbers into a correspondent succedaneum or virtual channel number which matches with the viewer""s cable or satellite service assignments.
Another object for my invention is to make transparent the shifting of real xe2x80x9cover the airxe2x80x9d channel numbers to other virtual channel numbers by cable and satellite service purveyors.
Yet another object of my invention is to accept entry of a like set of integer values as channel selections and obtain automatic viewing selection of either an xe2x80x9cover-the-airxe2x80x9d broadcast or a cable (or satellite) program which may appear to the viewer to have the same channel number assignments.
An urgent consideration of my invention is to provide automatic translation of real xe2x80x9cover-the-airxe2x80x9d channel numbers into equivalent virtual channel numbers remotely translated to control a channel selector portion of a television signal receiving apparatus.
A salient objective of my invention, particularly in it""s conjunctive usage by senior citizens, physically challenged persons and children is to provide automatic translation of real channel number selections entered by a viewer into virtual channel number commands sent to a remotely controlled television signal receiver.
It is these stated objectives and further methods and technical approaches which will be revealed to the knowledgeable artisan that serve to achieve the fundamental goals of my invention. These goals include an ability to enter similar appearing albeit different meaning channel selection digit values into a keypad and yet obtain disparate channel selection results by the remotely controlled apparatus. Furthermore, I show absolute operational independence between the obtained channel selection results while using a shared keypad as a common selection portal.